All articles tagged with #idaho national laboratory
NASA officials, after touring Idaho National Laboratory where the mission’s reactor is being built, remain confident in launching a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration by the end of 2028.
The Energy Department says Antares Nuclear’s microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory has reached criticality, marking the first private company to achieve this milestone under a Trump-era pilot program to accelerate advanced reactors. Antares aims to begin electricity generation by late 2027 and deploy systems by 2028, as regulators push to speed development amid ongoing safety debates and a broader push to expand U.S. nuclear power.
Antares' Mark 0 small modular reactor, based on TRISO fuel, reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory—the first new nuclear design to do so under a DOE push to accelerate development. The test is non-power-generating and aims to validate physics and safety data for licensing; full power generation is expected next year, with DoD’s Project Pele and NASA backing the effort.
The DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program marks a milestone as Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 advanced non-light-water reactor completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration at Idaho National Laboratory, signaling progress toward 2027 electricity generation and NRC licensure amid a broader push to revive the U.S. nuclear industry.
NASA is working on developing nuclear thermal propulsion technology to cut the travel time to Mars in half, with a goal of reaching the planet by 2040. Engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory are leading a nationwide team of scientists to enhance the capabilities of this technology. The longer journey to Mars poses logistical challenges and risks for astronauts, including exposure to microgravity and radiation. China is also working on its own nuclear propulsion project and has plans for a manned mission to Mars in the mid-2030s.